Opposing Network Patterns of Integration-Segregation in Psychedelic and Sedated States of Consciousness
Rui Dai, Hyunwoo Jang, Anthony G. Hudetz et al.
Across altered states of consciousness, psychedelics and sedatives produce opposite patterns of brain network organization. Psychedelics increase large-scale integration and reduce segregation of brain network interactions, while sleep and propofol sedation show the opposite pattern. These opposing integration-segregation patterns were consistently observed across multiple measures of functional connectivity, network topology, and interaction complexity, and reliably differentiated conscious states in an unbiased, data-driven manner. The findings demonstrate that psychedelic and sedated states are characterized by systematic and opposing shifts in large-scale brain organization.